Senior Guyanese police officer, others sanctioned by US Treasury Department

A senior Guyanese police officer who was suspected of involvement in a major cocaine find near the border with Venezuela last year has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, forcing authorities to send him home until a proper probe about his alleged involvement is completed.

Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, 37, is the last of the latest Guyanese nationals to be sanctioned by the US government in recent months. Sawh and businessman Paul Daby, Jnr., 40, ex-policeman Mark Cromwell, 43, called ‘Demon,’ miner Randolph Duncan, 50, and two Colombians were named in the list by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for participating in alleged global illicit drug smuggling.
The four Guyanese are now the second set of individuals to be treated by the Treasury, following the father-son duo of Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed and former security ministry administrative boss Mae Thomas. All three were close associates of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the Mohameds, and major party campaign financiers.

The three were named a year ago for their part in allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilograms of gold, mainly to the US and evading taxes to Guyana worth US$50 million, charges they have vehemently denied.

US authorities have supplied the Guyanese government with information on the alleged smuggling and other schemes. The younger Mohamed recently declared himself a presidential candidate for elections due on Sept. 1 and appears to have widespread appeal. Thomas was named for her part in allegedly assisting the Mohameds in their endeavors. She is on administrative leave.

Providing details for the sanctions, OAFC stated that Guyana has long been a central transshipment point for drugs from the South American continent to the US and Europe. “Traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transiting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia and Venezuela, through the waters of Guyana and Suriname,” noting Guyana’s geographic proximity to the Caribbean.

Directly referencing the more than four tons of cocaine intercepted by Guyanese and American authorities last year, OFAC stated that the “cocaine has been discovered buried in underground bunkers located on airstrips and in jungle territory, with Guyana’s Barima-Waini region as a prominent location. Cocaine is then flown, via aircraft, to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.” The find was worth close to $200 million.

And speaking to reporters late Thursday, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said authorities have asked the US for information on Officer Sawh to help them make a case against him. He has been sent on leave. He had been immediately transferred to the city from his base as an interior commander following the discovery of the cocaine.